Tackling food loss and waste from the farm to the table and beyond

Original author: FAO On the occasion of the fifth International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu emphasized the urgent need to tackle food loss and waste to improve food security, protect the environment, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, over 13% of food is lost after harvest, while 19% […]
International Day of Potato | 30 May

The potato, a crop of immense global significance, contributes to key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as zero hunger, sustainable agriculture, and economic growth. Celebrated on May 30th, the International Day of Potato recognizes its vital role in food security, nutrition, and livelihoods worldwide. Originating in the Andes, the potato has sustained civilizations, supported urbanization, […]
FAO Director-General focuses on apiculture and forestry with visit to Slovenia

The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Qu Dongyu, visited Slovenia, European Region of Gastronomy 2021, for three days, engaging with leaders in the local apiculture and forestry sectors, traditional industries of the European country. The visit included meetings with the Slovenian Beekeeping Association to discuss collaboration and the importance […]
New research urges data-driven action for agriculture and food systems change

“The state of food systems worldwide in the countdown to 2030“, published by The Food Systems Countdown to 2030 Initiative (FSCI), provides the first science-based monitoring to guide decision-makers as they seek wholesale transformation of the global agriculture and food systems. This transformation is needed urgently both to reduce the environmental impact of these systems and to […]
Four new reports highlight importance of the microbiome for food safety

FAO experts call for more systematic research into dynamic ecosystems that impact human health as well as food safety and planetary health. All evidence suggests that the microbiome, an emerging concept referring to the complex ecosystems made up of and by bacteria and other microorganisms, has powerful explanatory value for matters related to human, plant […]
Global indicators on the costs of healthy diets and how many people can’t afford them

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has made publicly available country-by-country indicators on healthy diets that show their cost – including by food group – and the number of individuals unable to afford them. The data serves as a reminder that even if the world has made progress towards providing enough […]
Tackling food loss and waste: A triple win opportunity – FAO, UNEP

FAO and UNEP issue call for action on International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and waste. Tackling the scourge of food loss and waste represents a triple win opportunity – for the climate, for food security, as well as for the sustainability of our agrifood systems – and cannot be put on the backburner […]
With vast arable lands, why is Africa dependent on imported grain?

Despite having vast amounts of arable land, nutritious indigenous crops and a booming agricultural sector, Africa still imports most of its grain. The Russian army’s blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports and the ripple effects of Western sanctions against Moscow have raised international food and fuel prices, leaving millions of Africans facing an “unprecedented food emergency” this year, the World Food […]
UN backs plans to ensure regular, healthy school meals for every child in need by 2030

Following pandemic-driven school closures, five UN agencies threw their strong support behind an international coalition to improve the nutrition, health and education of school-age children around the world. In a joint declaration on Tuesday, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World […]
Afghanistan: FAO appeals to urgently save rural livelihoods

The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, today called for urgent assistance to help save Afghanistan’s next wheat harvest, keep life-sustaining farm animals alive, and avoid a deterioration of the country’s already severe humanitarian crises. FAO is seeking $36 million to speed up its support to Afghan […]
FAO report maps insights from and threats to Indigenous Peoples’ food Systems

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with the Alliance of Bioversity International and The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) released a new study identifying hundreds of diverse plant and animal species that Indigenous Peoples around the world depend on and care for to generate food sustainably and enhance biodiversity – and […]
New report shows Indigenous and Tribal Peoples ‘best guardians’ of forests

Deforestation rates are significantly lower in Indigenous and Tribal territories where governments have formally recognized collective land rights, according to a new report. Jointly published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Fund for the Development of Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean (FILAC), Forest Governance by Indigenous […]